Tuition Transparency Vote Deferred Until Next Week

The “Tuition Transparency and Accountability Act,” HB1684/SB1665 by Rep. Eddie Smith (R-Knoxville) and Sen. Steve Dickerson (R-Nashville), was heard this week in the House Education Administration & Planning Subcommittee. A vote was ultimately deferred until next week.

As amended, the legislation would require all state universities to provide students, in their admission letter, a four-year, non-binding prediction of tuition and fee increases to assist in their future financial planning and help inform final decisions on college selection. The legislation would also require universities to give public notice of proposed tuition and mandatory fee increases at least 15 days prior to holding a vote, set forth factors to determine what justifies a tuition increase, and provide a report to the office of legislative budget analysis each year with information regarding how revenues from tuition and fee increases were spent.

Conversation focused on whether the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) should be in included in this legislation and whether they should be required to provide state universities with estimated tuition and fee increase ranges to aid in the process of calculating their four-year predictions. Rep. Harry Brooks (R-Knoxville) proposed an amendment to that end. THEC ultimately raised concerns with the amendatory effort and the bill was rolled one week.